CRETE, Neb. – After leading most of the first half, the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes found themselves tied with Doane University 39-all at the half. Trailing by as many as seven in the second half, the Coyotes rallied down the stretch for a 74-66 win in Wesleyan's season opener Saturday at the Haddix Center.
Not bad for a Coyote team in its season opener against the Tigers, who were playing in their fifth regular season game of the year already.
It was also the first season opening win over a NAIA-level opponent for Wesleyan coach Anthony Monson in his sixth season at the helm for KWU.
Wesleyan was down 51-44 with 13:21 left in the game when a bucket by seasoned veteran AJ Range (SR/Junction City, Kan.) fell and sparked the Coyote rally. Another score by Range cut the difference to three and Trey Duffey (SO/Topeka, Kan.)'s bucket with 11:52 left got the Coyotes within a point at 51-50.
Doane pushed its lead back out to four, but a bucket by freshman Alex Littlejohn (FR/Newton, Kan.) kept the Coyotes within two. After a Doane free throw, Tyus Jeffries (SR/Oklahoma City, Okla.) buried back to back shots to give Wesleyan the lead 56-55 with 9:07 left.
Jun Murdock (SO/Wichita, Kan.)'s score with 9:07 to go gave KWU a 60-55 lead, but Doane battled back to tie it at 66-all.
From there it was all Coyotes. Six straight free throws from Range, Jeffries and Easton Hunter (FR/Colwich, Kan.) made it 72-66 Coyotes and Jeffries' bucket with 12 seconds left sealed the win for the Coyotes.
Wesleyan raced out to a 12-2 lead in the first five minutes of the game and a later triple by Littlejohn extended Wesleyan's lead out to 25-12 with 10:42 to go in the first.
Doane got back within four with 6:20 left in the half, and back within a point at 27-26 a minute later. The Coyotes led 33-28 on Cory Kaplan (SO/Merritt Island, Fla.)'s tipin with 3:10 left but Doane took a 39-36 lead with 37 seconds left in the half, but Marcel Dean (SO/Tucson, Ariz.) buried a triple just before the buzzer to send the game to the half tied.
Range had a game-high 21 to lead the Coyotes who shot a blistering 55.8 percent from the field in the game. Murdock had 11 in his Coyote debut and Duffey added 10. Duffey led the Coyotes with six rebounds.
The Coyotes will play their home opener on Friday in the Kansas Wesleyan Coyote Classic at 8 p.m. against Dakota State. KWU then plays Clarke (Iowa) on Saturday at 6 p.m.